Have you wanted to join the world of carpenters? Are you confused on where to begin? Carpentry can become a very neat hobby and even turn into a full time profession. If you have had interest in carpentry, we’d like to help you get started.

Steve Allen Construction of Ocala, FL has been in the carpentry business for over 35 years. We know carpentry. This is our passion and we live it every day through our business. If you are looking to find your starting place in the world of carpentry, continue reading further to learn some of the basics and try a few simple projects. One day you might be framing houses, too!

Most Important Tool

A pencil – There isn’t a lot to be said except a pencil is your best friend. With all the figuring and measuring and adjustments you will need to make on a project, EVERY carpenter needs to have a pencil.

Measuring

First, you want to make sure you have the right kind of tape measure. You want to use a locking, retractable tape measure. Look for one that is around 3/4 to 1 inch wide, which is handy for very long measurements done by one person. Also, try to find one with a length of 16 to 25 feet. Try to always use the same tape measure throughout the entire job. If you notice the metal tab on the end is loose, don’t worry; it is supposed to be that way and will help adjust depending if you measure from the inside or outside of a board. The old axiom stands true for carpentry: measure twice, cut once. Trust us; this will pay off in the long run.

Carpentry for the Novice Part1

Marking

After measuring, you need to make sure you make the most exact mark possible. The best way to achieve this is to measure out to your desired distance and make a V shape mark, with the bottom of the V being the exact distance; this is also referred to as a crow’s-foot. Now, if you need to make a right angle from the crow’s-foot the best tool to use is a speed square. This is also a useful tool for checking the corners and edges of your boards just to make sure the ends are square.

When you are using a large board and your square won’t reach end to end, you need a chalk line. Make sure to get a blue-colored chalk line. Red lines are rainproof and will not be easily erased. Don’t use the chalk line on wet wood either; it can get gummy when it gets back inside the case. If you can’t hang the string over the end of the board, then nail an edge to the far side to hold it.

Join us next week for part two of this article. Get your sawhorse and hammer ready, because we are going to be moving on to cutting and nailing. We hope you were able to learn some of the basics to begin your journey into carpentry work.

Steve Allen Construction of Ocala, FL has been servicing the north central Florida area for over 35 years. We are passionate about carpentry and want to help you get started. If you have any questions, please contact us. Want to share your projects? Join us on our social media channels and post some pics.

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